Download free Cutting Away the Fat of the Atkins Diet.pdf The Atkins diet is a crazy that has swept all facets of life in the United States. Approximately 25 million Americans are currently on the low-carbohydrate diet popularized by Dr. Robert Atkins. Numerous fast food companies, led by Subway, have hopped on with Atkins in an effort to catch some of its popularity in the form of customers. Even beer companies have tried to capture a niche in the market of Atkins-obsessed, health-conscious Americans. The diet’s popularity is so widespread in the United States that it is going international, capturing the attention of media outlets in countries such as England (The Daily Beacon 2004). There is no doubting that the Atkins diet is popular. But there are many other doubts surrounding the controversial and radical diet, making it an interesting and hot topic of study and debate. When something has this type of white-hot popularity, there are always questions as to whether this is a trend that will stick or if it is merely a fad that will go out of style. More importantly, there are questions as to whether the diet actually works or not and whether it is even safe.

The official website of the Atkins empire, www.atkins.com, lists numerous success stories of people who have dedicated themselves to the high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet. Obviously, it is working for some, even if there are skeptics. The diet eschews food rich in carbohydrates like bread and pasta in favor of fatty food like beef and bacon.

Although some scientists have questioned the Atkins diet’s merits, the popularity of the diet is overwhelming. The Atkins diet first gained steam by spreading by word-of-mouth. According to Kansas State marketing expert Swinder Janda, this is the best form of advertising any company can hope for (Health andFitness News Service 2004). But advertising quickly moved beyond word-of-mouth to the mainstream. Outside companies quickly tried to capitalize on Atkins’ popularity. Numerous fast food chains have made deals to have officially licensed Atkins-approved food on its menu. Subway, which has long advertised itself as the healthy fast food alternative, was the first to jump on the Atkins bandwagon (Horovitz 2003). Others soon followed suit. T.G.I. Friday’s features and actively advertises its Atkins options on its menu (atkins.com). Even places where most people would expect a health-conscious person would take their business have caught on to the Atkins movement. Hardee’s, of all places, is offering Atkins-friendly options (Muckian 2004). So what is Hardee’s doing? Offering salads? No. Chicken sandwiches? No. They’re still offering the same hamburgers loaded with all sorts of artery-clogging add-ons like chili and cheese –just no bun. Instead of wrapping the burger in two pieces of carbohydrate-loaded bread, the sandwich will be wrapped in lettuce. Burger King has followed suit. But this is the beauty – or as some people see it, the horror – of the Atkins diet. A fatty burger can help a dieter lose weight as long as the bun is nixed.